Basic Concepts

Understand how DataGlass works so you can create any chart you need.

The Code Block

DataGlass reads special code blocks in your notes. Use either dg or data-glass:

```dg
type: bar
x: category
y: value
```

The content is YAML - a simple format where each line is property: value.

The Four Essential Properties

Every chart needs these four things:

Property	What it does	Example
type	The kind of chart	bar, line, scatter, pie
data	Where the data comes from	file: sales.csv
x	What goes on the horizontal axis	month, date, category
y	What goes on the vertical axis	revenue, count, value

Minimal example:

```dg
type: bar
data:
  file: data.csv
x: category
y: amount
```

Common Optional Properties

Property	What it does	Example
title	Chart title	title: Monthly Revenue
color	Group data by category	color: region
width	Chart width in pixels	width: 800
height	Chart height in pixels	height: 400

Data Sources

DataGlass can read data from multiple places:

Source	Syntax	Best for
Inline JSON	source: '[{...}]'	Quick demos, small datasets
CSV/JSON files	file: data/sales.csv	Your own data files
URLs	url: https://...	APIs, remote data
Vault queries	query: from:folder	Data from your notes
Markdown tables	file: "#Table Heading"	Tables in your notes

Learn more: Data Sources

Chart Types

DataGlass supports 30+ chart types:

Basic: bar, line, area, scatter, pie, donut

Statistical: boxplot, violin, histogram

Hierarchical: treemap, sunburst, dendrogram

Network: sankey, chord, force-directed

Specialized: heatmap, candlestick, forecast

See all: Chart Gallery

Transformations

Filter, aggregate, and sort your data before charting:

```dg
type: bar
data:
  file: orders.csv
transformations:
  - type: filter
    configuration:
      where:
        status: { eq: "completed" }
  - type: aggregate
    configuration:
      groupBy: ["region"]
      sum: ["amount"]
x: region
y: amount_sum
```

Learn more: Transformations

YAML Tips

Indentation matters. Use 2 spaces (not tabs):

# Correct
data:
  file: sales.csv

# Wrong - will cause errors
data:
file: sales.csv

Quotes are optional for simple values:

title: Monthly Sales     # works
title: "Monthly Sales"   # also works

Use quotes when values contain special characters:

title: "Sales: Q1 2024"  # colon needs quotes

Next Steps

• Chart Gallery - See all chart types with examples
• Data Sources - Connect your data
• Transformations - Filter and aggregate
• Reference - Complete property list